Ten Commandments no match for Big Mac

New survey shows more can recall burger ingredients than 'Thou shalt not kill'

Published: 10/08/2007 at 9:35 PM

Text smaller

Text bigger

border=0>

A new survey shows more Americans can name the seven ingredients in a McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger than the Ten Commandments.

The survey of 1,000 Americans, by Kelton Research, showed 80 percent could name the hamburger’s primary ingredient – two all-beef patties – but less than 60 percent recalled the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” the Catholic News Service, or CNS, reported.

Kelton was commissioned to do the research to help promote the new animated movie “The Ten Commandments,” opening Oct. 19.

The survey also found just 45 percent could recall the commandment “Honor your father and mother” while 76 percent remembered the Big Mac ingredient lettuce, 75 percent sesame-seed bun, 66 percent special sauce, 62 percent pickles and 60 percent cheese.

Even Americans who say they go to church once a week had difficulty naming all of the commandments, CNS reported.

border=0>

Among church-goers, 70 percent recalled “Thou shalt not kill,” listed as “You shall not kill” in the survey, and 69 percent remembered “You shall not steal.”

CNS said survey participants also had an easier time remembering the names of the six children on the old TV series “The Brady Bunch.”

The least remembered children, Bobby and Peter, were named by 43 percent of Americans. The two commandments least recalled by survey participants were to keep the Sabbath holy, 34 percent, and have no other gods besides God, 29 percent.

The survey allowed for the slight variation between Catholic and Protestant versions of the commandments.

border=0>Scene from new animated movie “The Ten Commandments”

The “Ten Commandments” movie is the first in a series of 12 planned animated “Epic Stories of the Bible,” according to CNS. Cindy Bond, president and chief operating officer of Promenade Pictures, said “Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning” is halfway through production and “David and Goliath” has just started production.

The fourth is expected to be “The Battle of Jericho.” Other Bible stories under discussion include Daniel in the lions’ den, Samson and Delilah, the book of Genesis and stories from the New Testament.